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MSNBC’s rebranding to MS NOW one of the ‘worst branding disasters in media history’

msnbc’s-rebranding-to-ms-now-one-of-the-‘worst-branding-disasters-in-media-history’




On Monday, the network soon-to-be formerly-known-as MSNBC announced its new name — My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW — along with its new non-avian logo, and all of it pretty universally landed with a thud. I watched Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell that night to see if either of them would address the rebrand, but they were too classy and stuck to the news. It’s a real achievement on the part of the marketing team, because MSNBC had an underdog/sympathetic edge going into this, due to the fact that NBC decreed to them (but not to CNBC) that they had to cease and desist using “NBC.” Even after they initially promised no one would have to change brand names! But no, instead it’s been a master class in how to underperform in retaliation, to the extent that I’m just imagining a Veep-style cast of characters making these decisions behind the scenes. There are some, however, rising to the occasion of this moment… in the form of excellent burns on the internet waxing on the main theme of this being “one of the worst branding disasters in media history.”

After the cable-news network announced it would become My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW, later this year, netizens have taken to social media to make their disdain for the name and logo change more than abundantly clear.

The issue, according to the Internet, isn’t just the name, it’s also the look and “feel” of the new logo.

“MSNBC changing its name to MS NOW is one of the worst branding disasters in media history. The logo looks like it belongs on a discount computer from 1998, not a serious news network,” one user wrote. “Absurd.”

…The move conflicts with previous claims made by NBCUniversal that the network would be allowed to keep its name amid the shift. NBC’s iconic peacock logo will no longer be used for the cable-news network, either.

A memo sent Aug. 18 by MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler addressed the flip-flop, writing:

“During this time of transition, NBCUniversal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity … The future of our success is not tied to remaining within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our identity,” Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC President, wrote in an Aug. 18 memo addressed to staff.

The peacock-looking logo, according to MSNBC CEO Mark Lazarus, “is synonymous with NBCUniversal, and it is a symbol they have decided to keep within the NBCU family.”

Because of this decision, MSNBC is now free to “chart our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin.”

MSNBC has certainly ruffled some feathers with the announcement, with netizens posting reactions (complete with GIFs), opinions and critiques about the rebrand, dubbed one of the “worst branding disasters in media history” on X, formerly known as Twitter, in the last 24 hours.

[From USA Today]

The rest of the USA Today article is a round-up of some of the best social media clapbacks, and they are all quite excellent. Like: “MSNBC to changing their name to MS NOW is like HBO changing their name to MAX and facebook changing to Meta and Twitter to X. I will never call it the new name,” followed by a GIF of Gandalf venting on Pippin Took: “Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity.” Or: “MS NOW sounds like a short-lived Windows operating system from the early 2000s that needlessly redesigned too much and failed to be adopted by a critical mass of users.” Plus: “*adjusting my tie and walking to her table to take my shot* Is there a MISTER NOW, MS NOW?” And: “After MS Now will be MS Go, and then MS Max, and then just MS.” There really is a wealth of creativity out there.

So in conclusion, the rebrand sucks on name, logo, and execution fronts. (Otherwise known as all fronts.) I said on Tuesday, and I know I’m not the only one, that the name reads like Multiple Sclerosis NOW. In regard to the logo, call me petty and/or vindictive, but I think they totally missed an opportunity to get back at NBC. How? By making their new logo another bird! Owls have symbolism related to knowledge, yes? Though coming out of November 2024, an ostrich may be more fitting.

After MS Now will be MS Go, and then MS Max, and then just MS.

— Scott Nover (@ScottNover) August 18, 2025

MS NOW sounds like a short-lived Windows operating system from the early 2000s that needlessly redesigned too much and failed to be adopted by a critical mass of users https://t.co/kSJO19bJxX

— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) August 18, 2025

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Categories
Business Marketing Names

MSNBC is changing its name to My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW

msnbc-is-changing-its-name-to-my-source-news-opinion-world,-or-ms-now




Earlier this summer Warner Bros. Discovery announced it was splitting into two companies, one focused on streaming and new content, the other on TV networks they’re probably looking to sell. The division was modeled off the split Comcast revealed last November, in which they were keeping NBC Universal, NBC News, Peacock, and Bravo together, but moving other networks to a new company called Versant. The reassigned networks included USA, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and the Golf Channel, as well as CNBC and MSNBC who were assured they would keep their 30-odd-year brand names. I mean, after we all went through the inane merry-go-round of HBO to HBO Max to Max then back to HBO Max, it’d just be bone stupid for another network to do the same— Wait, what’s this now? MSNBC is changing its name after all? Indeed, they are. But don’t worry, the new brand name rolls right off the tongue: My Source News Opinion World, aka MS NOW. SOS.

The name change was ordered by NBC Universal, which last November spun off cable networks USA, CNBC, MSNBC, E! Entertainment, Oxygen and the Golf Channel into its own company, called Versant. None of the other networks are changing their name.

MSNBC got its name upon its formation in 1996, as a partnership then between Microsoft and NBC. Even back then, it was a puzzling moniker to many. But it stuck, even after the NBC partnership with Microsoft that produced it ended, and Versant CEO Mark Lazarus said in the initial days of the spinoff that it would stay, making Monday’s announcement an unexpected about-face.

Name changes always carry an inherent risk, and MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler said that for employees, it is hard to imagine the network under a different name. “This was not a decision that was made quickly or without significant debate,” she said in a memo to staff.

“During this time of transition, NBC Universal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity,” she said. “This decision now allows us to set our own course and assert our independence as we continue to build our own modern newsgathering organization.”

Kutler said the network’s editorial direction will remain the same. “While our name will be changing, who we are and what we do will not,” she said.

Still, it’s noteworthy that the business channel CNBC is leaving “NBC” in its name. MSNBC argues that CNBC has always maintained a greater separation and, with its business focus, is less likely to cover many of the same topics.

The affiliation between a news division that stresses objectivity and one that doesn’t hide its liberal bent has long caused tension. President Donald Trump refers to the cable network as “MSDNC,” for Democratic National Committee. Even before the corporate change, NBC News has been reducing the use of its personalities on MSNBC.

…MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough revealed the network’s new logo on his show Monday morning. “It looks very sporty,” he said.

[From AP via AOL]

“It looks very sporty.” Thanks, Joe, but pray tell, what sport is the new logo giving? Cause I’m not seeing it! I find the new look rather dull, more like a deliberately oblique presentation designed to mask the sinister organization underneath. Which is not what I think of MSNBC at all! And I guess they were really hell bent on keeping the ‘MS’ beginning the same (despite both original ties to Microsoft and NBC now being severed), but breaking it up to ‘MS’ – space – the next three letters? I just hope they’re ready for all the outreach they’re gonna get from people who think they’re contacting a Multiple Sclerosis research organization.

But I suppose I should stop ragging on the (uninspired) rebranding choices made, given that the article clearly states OG NBC mandated the change. Which is where this all gets political, much like the CBS/Paramount merger with Skydance that offered up Stephen Colbert and The Late Show to the altar of Trump’s overtanned yet under-nourished thin skin. Why was this directive to rebrand only issued to MSNBC, and not their business sister CNBC? And for that matter, why not keep all the NBCs together? Or maybe I’m just being cynical and everyone sincerely wanted to give MSNBC a “sporty” rebirth.

PS — As of this writing, there has been no known custody arrangement/ruling made regarding Steve Kornacki. I think it’s only fair for him to walk us through the odds of where he’ll go through a demonstration at the big board.

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David Zaslav HBO Marketing

Max is changing its name back to HBO Max after two years of bad branding

max-is-changing-its-name-back-to-hbo-max-after-two-years-of-bad-branding




It really feels like we’re in the Cassandra Timeline, wherein we know the consequences that will follow a certain action, yet the world doesn’t listen and drags us all along to learn everything the hard way instead. Two years ago, as Warner Bros. and Discovery were solidifying their merger under the inauspicious tutelage of David Zaslav, they decided to take the HBO out of HBO Max. The idea was to centralize all the HBO, Discovery, and WB content into one app to rule them all. Does that theory make sense? Sure. Was it still one of the most predictably bone-headed marketing decisions? Definitely. So, it’s upfronts season in NYC, the time of year when networks and streamers preview next year’s programming to advertisers and media buyers. And Zaslav just announced that the app formerly known as HBO Max, will henceforth again be known as HBO Max:

In a press release, WBD said “returning the HBO brand into HBO Max will further drive the service forward and amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect from the offering. It is also a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach — leaning heavily on consumer data and insights — to best position itself for success.”

…“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,” Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav told the audience in the Theater at Madison Square Garden. “Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead.”

WBD’s naming flip-flopping for its flagship streaming service — which has caused more than a little confusion among consumers — amounts to an admission by the company it can’t be as broad as the industry leader, Netflix. The original justification for dropping HBO from HBO Max was to signal a something-for-everyone content cornucopia.

Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO of streaming JB Perrette added: “We will continue to focus on what makes us unique — not everything for everyone in a household, but something distinct and great for adults and families. It’s really not subjective, not even controversial — our programming just hits different.”

“With the course we are on and strong momentum we are enjoying, we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition,” Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, said. “And it clearly states our implicit promise to deliver content that is recognized as unique and, to steal a line we always said at HBO, worth paying for.”

The social media team at Warner Bros. Discovery clearly knew the internet would have a field day with the news of the reversion of the streamer’s name to HBO Max — and tried to get in front of memes about the switcheroo. “These rebrands are trying to murder me,” the (soon-to-be-defunct) Stream on Max account said in its updated bio on X Wednesday.

After the coming change back to HBO Max was announced at the upfront, WBD relaunched its dormant HBO Max accounts on social media.

“What is dead may never die,” the newly resurrected HBO Max on X account posted, featuring a clip from “Game of Thrones” Season 6 of Jon Snow coming back to life. “HBO Max coming this summer. Same app, new-ish name.”

[From Variety]

Sure enough, as I was writing this I got an email from HBO touting the move: “The plot twist everyone’s been waiting for: HBO Max! Coming Home this summer.” They kind of have to poke fun at themselves with the marketing, considering they instigated this whole redundant journey, right? Also, this bit got to me: “It is also a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach…” Ah, so I guess after WBD canned Batgirl for a tax write-off, they simply had to then also tank Scoob! Holiday Haunt and Coyote vs. Acme (twice!), as part of “boldly iterating” their strategy. Look, I could rag on David Zaslav for days for any number of his toothless decisions. Like the aforementioned canning of already-completed films, or killing promising niche-genre series, or offending writers and creators writ large. But instead of enumerating his many, many faults, I’m gonna take this opportunity to commend the man for fixing a mistake, even when doing so causes him public embarrassment. We should all be so willing to correct course when needed. So in that spirit, Mr. Zaslav, please, for the love of Bugs in a world gone daffy, will you now reinstate the classic Looney Tunes already?!

Photo note by CB: Don’t f-k up Sinners’s distribution!!


Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos credit: Avalon.red, Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon, Getty and via Logos.fandom.com

Categories
food Marketing

Goldfish crackers are changing their name to Chilean Sea Bass for a week

goldfish-crackers-are-changing-their-name-to-chilean-sea-bass-for-a-week




Our favorite snacks (and Pringles) are going through identity crises! Earlier this month saw the launch of new Pringles Mingles, the brand’s venture into air-puffed chips. The Mingles are not Pringles’ signature hyperbolic paraboloid shape, and they come in bags, not cans, hence the identity crisis categorization. Well, I guess Pepperidge Farms thought, “Hey, we want to rethink a staple product, too!” And so here we are, nearing the end of one week where Chilean Sea Bass crackers were available for purchase, instead of Goldfish. Why did we swim away from East Asian waters to a South American fish? So that adults could have a “sophisticated” version of the popular kids’ snack. To be absolutely clear: aside from the name change, the two snacks are exactly the same. Still, the lure of limited edition works (see also: Stanley cups), because when I went to buy some Chilean Sea Bass crackers online Sunday evening, they were all sold out for the day’s allotment. I wish you better luck in securing a 2-pack for $7.38 when the new batches drop at 9am ET.

The snack that smiles back is rebranding.

Goldfish, the fish-shaped cheddar crackers made by Pepperidge Farm, has temporarily changed its name to Chilean Sea Bass in hopes of appealing to “sophisticated” adults who “think Goldfish are just for kids,” according to the brand.

“Well, what if we called them Chilean Sea Bass?” an actor asked in a video shared to Goldfish’s official Instagram account Oct. 23. “They look just like Goldfish, they taste just like Goldfish — except they’re called Chilean Sea Bass.”

As for exactly why Chilean sea bass was chosen out of all the fish in the sea? It could be because the fish is often served in fine-dining restaurants.

“We know the love for Goldfish spans all ages,” vice president of Goldfish Danielle Brown said in a statement to Today. “Chilean Sea Bass is a playful nod to adults that the iconic fish-shaped snack is for grown-up tastes too.”

But don’t worry, those who prefer the OG name can still find Goldfish snacks at most retailers. After all, crackers with the special Chilean Sea Bass packaging is only available from Oct. 23 to Oct. 30 on ChileanSeaBassCrackers.com.

The name change comes a month following Goldfish’s parent corporation The Campbell’s Company dropped “Soup” from its name after more than 155 years to reflect its massive portfolio of foods, including pretzels, chips, cookies and — yes — Goldfish crackers.

And some social media users are already onboard with Goldfish’s new update.

“Very demure, very mature, very mindful, Chilean seabass,” one fan quipped on Instagram, while another joked, “The sophistication is next level.”

In fact, it’s even making a splash with other marine-adjacent brands, with Swedish Fish’s Instagram account commenting on Goldfish’s page, “Is this for eel?”

[From E! News]

Bravo to Swedish Fish for “Is this for eel?” That was gold, and it’s nice to see solidarity between fish-themed snack foods. But I do believe the commenter who brought “very demure, very mindful,” to the conversation wins the day. I will say, I applaud Goldfish for their bravery in pulling this marketing stunt in the week leading up to Halloween, when all the focus is on candy, not crackers. But, why only one week? Was this a test, to see if the noshing public would agree that a Goldfish by any other name would smell as cheddary? And look, I know I can be a Literal Lucy, but… Chilean Sea Bass are not gold/orange, they’re silver/gray! I bring this up because I know there will be fish-curious children out there who ask their parents why the snacks look exactly the same when the two species don’t. And I don’t blame those kids!! Once that can of worms is opened up, then parents will naturally have to get into how Chilean Sea Bass aren’t even bass but cod, because their name itself is the result of a marketing ploy — a rebrand from the less-than-appetizing Patagonian or Antarctic toothfish. And thus another school of children will learn that the adult world makes no sense.